To Promise, To Fly
by Danyu
Summary: [oneshot] NejixHinata. Neji would do anything to keep his promise.


**To Promise, To Fly**

By Dan'yu

To fly, he knew, would be a pure defiance of gravity. The utmost lack of submission to the very laws of nature that ruled the earth, the most basic form of freedom from everything that would and could chain him down, like the binds of his slavery, everything that tied him down to the Main Family. There were times when the burden of his innate responsibilities weighed down on his shoulders beyond his capacity to handle, his knees buckling beneath the strain, causing him to stumble along his path.

It was an unstoppable fate, as inevitable and unattainable as the setting and rising of the sun at dawn and dusk. There was no salvation, no relief there to catch him as he crashed back down toward earth, falling hard against the ground as he came down from the dizzying heights of heights of near-unconsciousness.

His heart hammered as if ready to explode from his chest, a thundering rhythm of like that of a ritualistic drum. He gasped for breath, desperately grappling for some sense of reality even as he clutched at his chest, the blood roaring in his ears drowning out all other noise as he battled for a single moment of unlabored breath, for a single instance of clarity.

"Neji…?"

A single vocalization of his name broke through the fog of confusion and weariness that grasped his mind in its smothering hold. He recognized that voice, clear as the ringing of bells, just as surely as his mind registered the familiarity of the light, floral scent that filled his nostrils and the slender arms that slipped around him, supporting his body just before he collapsed completely.

Her face hovered just beyond his vision, contorted into an expression of pained concern. He noticed dully that she was worrying her lower lip, something she did when nervous or disconcerted, a habit that replaced the twiddling of her fingers he recalled from their younger years.

A cool, soft hand pressed to his forehead, smoothing back his sweat-soaked hair. "Neji, what do you think you're doing? They're missing you at the hospital. Not only are you wounded, you're running a fever too."

"Hin-ata," he gasped out her name, reaching up to grasp her hand, raising the appendage to brush dry lips against her palm, "I promised."

Her brows knit together with confusion, though she flushed slightly at his show of affection. "What did you promise?"

"I promised…I would come to see you after I returned."

Her face softened, blossoming with that soft, loving smile he adored so much. "Oh, Neji. A messenger came to see me after you got back. Foolish man. You didn't need to push yourself like this."

"H-hai." He winced as each word pulled on his wounded ribs, choking for a solid breath. She stroked his hair, murmuring encouraging words to breath carefully, and finally, he was able to continue. "I needed to keep my promise." His eyes closed, but he disentangled their hands to place his against her cheek. "I missed you."

"Neji." He breathed deeply, carefully, surrounded by the soothing sweetness of her scent, her warmth, as he heard the rustle of clothing that accompanied her leaned down to his level, the brush of her lips against his brow. "I missed you too. Three months, Neji. You had me so worried."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Tsunade-sama told me the news. An ANBU, Neji. Congratulations."

He managed a light smile. "I love you, you know. You're all I thought about."

He heard her gasp of surprise, and then the drop of sudden moisture against his cheek. His eyes flew open, gazing up at her in surprise as he realized she was crying. "Hinata? Did I say something wrong?"

She shook her head in firm denial, raising a shaky hand to his face as she kissed him lightly, briefly, that taste of salt clinging to his lips as she withdrew. "No, it's not that. You've just ever said that before." She smiled slightly, sadly. "I have a feeling you'll account it later to the fever."

"No," he whispered, "Never. I promise."

"Hinata-chan!"

A sudden voice broke through their interactions, and Hinata withdrew from him, greeting the newcomer as "Sakura-chan", and deft, professional hands became to feel him over, her tongue clucking with disapproval as she took note of his temperature. "I'm glad you found him, Hinata-chan," the pink-haired kunoichi was saying, "He snuck out of the hospital and not a soul had a clue where to look for him. What kind of idiot are you, Neji-san? Honestly, leaving with a wound like this. Not to mention you're still trying to fight off the infection!"

"Sakura-chan…it's alright. I can talk to him later when he's feeling more up to par."

Neji cast a relieved glance in the general direction of her voice, and just as he thought himself off the hook, Sakura sighed rather dramatically, her tone laced with concern this time as she spoke, replacing the exasperation. "Hinata-chan, have you been crying? Neji, what did you do now?" Her deliberate lack of honorific accompanied the underlying warning in her voice, a promised wrath that usually lured her former teammates, Uchiha and Uzumaki, into submission, and had him wincing in a way that had nothing to do with the pain.

"It's nothing, Sakura-chan. The one we could be worrying about is Neji-nii-san. We need to get him back to the hospital."

"Yare, yare. You're right. Oi, you lugs, get your butts over here! We can't carry him ourselves!"

Neji heard the scramble of scurrying feet and the annoyed mutter of male voices. Strong hands proceeded to life him from the ground, and he whispered uncertainly, "Hinata?"

"Hai, Neji-nii-san?" The honorific had him frowning, but her face entered once more into his sight, and she smiled down at him, his mind suddenly reminding him that they were in the company of others, and the need for formality was a given.

"Tadaima (1)," he said softly.

Home. Once he was better, he could be with her again, retake the role of protector and lover he had missed so severely while he was gone. By day, he could be by her side, and by night, once more, he could be the man she loved. How many nights had he lain on the cold, hard ground, yearning to be back here? Lying within her, knowing her body as surely as his own name, was where he found his comfort, his salvation. To know her so intimately was to know what it truly was to fly. What wings did he need when he knew her touch, her love?

Her smile only grew warmer, and it was the last thing he saw before he finally succumbed to the darkness, lulled into comfort by her responding whisper.

"Okaeri (2), Neji."

---------------

(1) tadaima- I'm home

(2) okaeri- welcome home


End file.
